Department News
December 2025
Mark Drew received the 2026 Distinguished Foundational Science Educator Award, an OSU College of Medicine Dean's Excellence Award.
August 2025
Skye Fishbein received a Pathway to Independence Award (R00) from the National Institutes of Health, 08/01/2025 - 07/31/2027. “Identifying sources of variation in microbiome-pathogen dynamics during Clostridioides difficile colonization”
Xue Han received a Method to Extend Research in Time (MERIT) Award (R37) from the National Cancer Institute, 08/20/2025 - 07/31/2030. “Targeting the PD-1H (VISTA) pathway to overcome immunosuppression in acute myeloid leukemia”
Namal Liyanage received an Exploratory/Developmental Research Grant Award (R21) from the National Institutes of Health, 08/21/2025 - 07/31/2027. “Enhanced Antibody-Dependent Cellular Cytotoxicity in HIV Vaccine by Novel Adjuvant”
July 2025
Adriana Forero received a 2025 Investigators in the Pathogenesis of Infectious Disease (PATH) award from The Burroughs Wellcome Fund, 07/01/2025 – 06/30/2030. “Resident nuclear factors drive heterogeneity in the antiviral response”
Fernanda Novais received a 2025 Investigators in the Pathogenesis of Infectious Disease (PATH) award from The Burroughs Wellcome Fund, 07/01/2025 – 06/30/2030. "Immune evasion strategy of an intracellular parasite”
May 2025
Purnima Dubey and Jianrong Li received a Research Project Grant (R01) from the National Institutes of Health, May 1, 2025 – April 30, 2030. “Development of novel multivalent mucosal vaccines for human noroviruses”
Ken Oestreich, with Ginny Bumgardner and Ben Kaffenberger, received a NRSA Short-Term Research Training (T35) from the National Institutes of Health, 05/01/2025 – 04/30/2030. “STRIVE: Short-Term Research in Immunology and Virology Experience”
February 2025
Amal Amer was elected as a fellow to the American Academy of Microbiology. The honorific recognizes excellence, originality, service and leadership in the microbial sciences.
December 2024
Gene Oltz received a Research Project Grant (R01) from the National Institutes of Health, December 1, 2024 - November 30, 2029. “Cis-regulatory circuits for ILC function and plasticity”
September 2024
Haitao Wen received a Maximizing Investigators' Research Award (MIRA) (R35) grant from the National Institutes of Health, September 5, 2024 - June 30, 2029. "Essential functions of OGT in host defense mechanism"
August 2024
Amal Amer's Long COVID research has been featured in a recent news publication (Columbus Dispatch).
Purnima Dubey and Raj Deora (MPI) received a High Priority, Short-Term Project Award (R56) from the National Institutes of Health, August 6, 2024 - July 31, 2025. “Novel B. Pertussis vaccines that elicit mucosal immunity”
Namal Liyanage received an Exploratory/Developmental Research Grant Award (R21) from the National Institutes of Health, August 1, 2024 - June 30, 2026. “Understanding the Mechanism of HIV Associated with Diabetic Complications in Low- and Middle-Income Country”
Murugesan Rajaram received a High Priority, Short-Term Project Award (R56) from the National Institutes of Health, August 1, 2024 - July 31, 2025. "Mechanism of macrophage efflux system in Mycobacterium tuberculosis pathogenesis"
July 2024
Murugesan Rajaram received an American Heart Association Transformational Project Award, July 1, 2024 - June 30, 2027. “Dysfunctional CFTR aggravates cardiac dysfunction during infection”
Dan Wozniak received a Cystic Fibrosis Foundation (CFF) 2024 Research Development Program, July 1, 2024 - June 30, 2028. “Cure CF Columbus (C3) Research Development Program (RDP)”
June 2024
Miqdad Dhariwala received a Pathway to Independence Award (R00) from the National Institutes of Health, June 1, 2024 - May 31, 2027. "Elucidating microbial and host mechanisms supporting early life immune imprinting by skin"
Dan Wozniak received a Research Project Grant (R01) from the National Institutes of Health, June 4, 2024 - April 30, 2029. "Cooperation and antagonism in polymicrobial infection"
May 2024
Dan Wozniak and Luanne Hall-Stoodley received an Exploratory/Developmental Research Grant Award (R21) grant from the National Institutes of Health, May 21, 2024 – March 31, 2026. “Surface dependent inhibition of Mycobacterium abscessus by Pseudomonas aeruginosa”
Raj Deora and Purnima Dubey received a Exploratory/Developmental Research Grant Award (R21) grant from the National Institutes of Health, May 22, 2024 - March 31, 2026. “Interaction of Bordetella pertussis with human nasal epithelium”
April 2024
Amal Amer received a Research Program Project Grant (P01) from the National Institutes of Health, April 10, 2024 - March 31, 2029. “Role of the Non-canonical Inflammasome in SARS-CoV-2-mediated Pathology and Coagulopathy”
Haitao Wen received a Research Project Grant (R01) from the National Cancer Institute, April 1, 2024 – March 31, 2029. “Modulation of ferroptotic cell death by mitochondrial calcium signaling”
Amal Amer received an OSU 2024 Distinguished Scholar Award. The university-level award annually honors six faculty members who demonstrate scholarly activity, conduct research or creative works that represent exceptional achievements in their fields and garner distinction for the university.
Katarzyna Danis-Wlodarczyk, Research Scientist in the lab of Dan Wozniak, received an Distinguished Staff Award during the ceremony for the College of Medicine Dean’s Excellence Awards.
February 2024
Gene Oltz received a Small Grant Program (R03) grant from the National Institutes of Health, February 2, 2024 - December 31, 2025. "Generation of an ILC3-specific Cre driver in mice"
January 2024
Gene Oltz was appointed President of AMSMIC (Association of Medical School Microbiology and Immunology Chairs) for the 2025-2026 term.
September 2023
Amal Amer received an Exploratory/Developmental Research Grant Award (R21) grant from the National Institutes of Health, September 15, 2023 - July 31, 2025. "Alteration of bronchial epithelium host defenses by marijuana and vaping preparations”
Adriana Forero received a Maximizing Investigators' Research Award (MIRA) (R35) grant from the National Institutes of Health, September 1, 2023 - July 31, 2028. "Identification of novel type III IFN regulatory pathways"
Emily Hemann received a Maximizing Investigators' Research Award (MIRA) (R35) grant from the National Institutes of Health, September 1, 2023 - July 31, 2028. "RIG-I-like receptor regulation of pulmonary inflammation and homeostasis"
She was also awarded an Exploratory/Developmental Research Grant Award (R21) grant from the National Institutes of Health, September 1, 2023 - July 31, 2025. "Non-Canonical mechanisms for interferon-lambda regulation of SARS-COV-2 infection”
Jerry Lio received a Maximizing Investigators' Research Award (MIRA) (R35) grant from the National Institutes of Health, September 1, 2023 - July 31, 2028. "Molecular Mechanism of TET-mediated Gene Regulation"
He was also awarded a Gabrielle's Angel Foundation for Cancer Research Grant, September 1, 2023 - August 31, 2026. “The epigenetic mechanism of vitamin C in tumor suppression”
August 2023
Gene Oltz has been appointed the College of Medicine Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation Chair for Clinical Research, August 1, 2023 – June 30, 2027.
Highlighted Publications